Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
ZIMBABWE has launched a livestock Feed and Fodder Dashboard aimed at improving access to information on animal feed resources and strengthening preparedness against future climate shocks, including potential droughts linked to extreme El Niño conditions.
The digital platform, handed over in Harare yesterday, is expected to help government, farmers and development partners identify available feed resources, improve planning and coordinate responses during periods of pasture shortages.
The launch comes as climate change continues to increase pressure on livestock production, with recurring droughts reducing grazing areas and threatening rural livelihoods dependent on cattle and other livestock.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Deputy Minister Davies Marapira said the dashboard would provide an important foundation for managing livestock feed challenges, but stressed the need to increase local fodder production.
He said while Zimbabwe had a strong commercial livestock feed industry, the country needed to focus more on producing fodder locally to reduce costs for farmers.
“Zimbabwe, we are very high on the feed, we have companies doing feed like National Foods, Profeeds and others, but when it comes to fodder, we need to teach our people how fodder is being prepared,” Deputy Minister Marapira said.
“Fodder comes from our grasses, we have quite a lot of grasses, our summer grasses, our winter grasses, then we have perennial grasses which can go for 15 to 20 years depending on how they are managed.”
He said developing fodder production systems would help cushion farmers from livestock feed shortages during drought periods, while reducing dependence on expensive commercial feeds.
“The growing of fodder in Zimbabwe will cut all the costs in terms of looking after livestock and also on small stock,” he said.
Deputy Minister Marapira said crops such as lucerne could play a major role in improving livestock nutrition because of their high protein content.
The Feed and Fodder Dashboard was developed through a programme supported by the African Union and the African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) to address challenges around livestock feed shortages and limited access to reliable information.
AU-IBAR information systems and data analyst Leonard Muganda said the initiative was designed to help the country prepare for emergencies caused by drought, climate change and other disruptions.
“The work around the programme was actually to address the challenge with the issue of feed shortages and also access to data and information,” Mr Muganda said.
He said the dashboard would enable stakeholders to know where feed resources are available and support better decision-making during crises.
“The work was to support the sector, to catalyse some of these interventions around knowing where feed is, how to access it, and also a way in which government and other supporting partners can work together,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s livestock sector has suffered significant losses during drought years as water sources dry up and grazing land deteriorates, forcing farmers to rely on costly supplementary feeding.
The new system seeks to shift the country from responding to livestock emergencies after they occur towards proactive planning by identifying available feed resources before crises emerge.
Mr Muganda said the programme had also established a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together key actors in the livestock sector to sustain collaboration beyond the project period.
“As the project comes to a close, we believe we have built the foundation where more work and mobilisation of resources can now be done for a long-term project,” he said.
With climate variability expected to continue affecting agricultural production, authorities say strengthening fodder systems and livestock data management will be critical in protecting Zimbabwe’s national herd and rural economies.
